Ferairra pleaded guilty to involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault and statutory sexual assault. In exchange for the plea, prosecutors dropped charges of sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual assault on a child, rape, rape of a child, endangering the welfare of a child, indecent assault and aggravated indecent assault of a child.

McFadden deferred sentencing until Dec. 7 and ordered that Ferairra have a sexual offender assessment, a sexual evaluation and a lie-detector test. Ferairra assaulted the child numerous times between January 2000, when she was 9, and January 2004.

Assistant District Attorney Patricia C. Broscius said the child reported that when Ferairra began forcing her to perform sex acts on him, "it almost became routine to her. She didn't know it was wrong."

Broscius said Ferairra tried to have intercourse with the child but told police she "would complain and said it hurt."

"You're telling me if this case went to trial, the commonwealth could prove these charges against you?" McFadden asked.

"Yeah," Ferairra said.

"Is this what happened?" McFadden asked.

"Yeah, I think," Ferairra said. "Yeah."

"Why?" McFadden asked.

"I don't know," Ferairra said, adding that his friends and family would say it was out of character for him to do such things. "I don't know what came over me. It was a mistake that escalated into a problem."

The judge disagreed and pointed out that Ferairra violated the child over a three-year period.

"I don't really know what came over me," Ferairra repeated.

"So, you were in a fog for three years?" McFadden asked.

Ferairra shrugged. "It happened so long ago," he said.

"OK," McFadden said. "We'll find out."

According to court records, the assaults occurred in Bethlehem and Easton. Ferairra was arrested after the girl was interviewed in April.